Leading the way and aiming higher – how Swedavia strives for more within the Airport Carbon Accreditation framework

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After achieving the highest Level 5 for Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) and Ronneby Airport (RNB) within the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) framework, Swedavia is now the leading airport operator in the world regarding aviation’s climate transition with four of 10 airports certified at the highest level. At the end of 2023, Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) and Malmö Airport (MMX) became the first airports in northern Europe to reach Level 5, now being followed by Arlanda and Ronneby. The work does not stop there, however, as the remaining six Swedavia airports are aiming to be certified at Level 5 by 2027.

Behind the certification to the highest level within the ACA lies diligent work, and Swedavia will continue to lead the way for innovation and push the aviation industry towards fossil-free air travel. As the first airport operator in the world to become fossil-free in our own airport operations back in 2020, we are ahead and leading the way from an international perspective.

Going forward, intensifying the work to support our partners’ transition work is a natural and important increase in ambition towards our next goal; which is to strive for all operational activities at our 10 airports to be fossil-free by the end of next year. Achieving and maintaining net zero carbon dioxide emissions in airport operations is a prerequisite for the highest certification level within the ACA. This means that we will work to ensure that not just within our own operations, but through the entire value chain, including all procured goods and services, we strive and achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions.

Essential partnership plan for Scope 3

Reaching Level 5 required Swedavia to have a plan in place for how emissions from the entire value chain will reach zero by 2050, in accordance with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree target. We have achieved this through our ambitious partnership plan that we’ve put in place at all levels, from ground handling, catering and so on.

Level 5 also entails a larger scope of responsibility in our climate transition work and means that Swedavia as an airport operator must both achieve zero emissions of climate gases from our own operations (Scope 1 and 2, as well as working with our partners Scope 3) to reach at least 90%  reduction compared to 2010. The remaining 10% will be removed by purchasing carbon offsets in projects that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as forest growth or carbon capture storage (CCS).

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Starting the journey early

It’s essential to get your partners on-board early when starting your climate transition journey. Swedavia started our climate transition early by becoming climate neutral way back in 2006. We then achieved the goal of being fossil-free in our own operations in 2020.

Early on, the key is to continue your own climate transition in combination with your partners. You should look to establish a measurement of climate-affecting emissions from all operations, set clear short- and long-term goals to reduce emissions, and actively involve selected stakeholders in the climate transition work. Our partnership plan which we have put in place means a natural, seamless and important increase in ambition towards completely fossil-free operations at our airports. Nowadays, we collaborate with hundreds of different partners and will, through dialogue and joint efforts, further speed up the necessary climate transition work.

Three more airports to be certified in 2025

The Level 5 certification of Arlanda (ARN) and Ronneby Airport (RNB) means that both the largest and the smallest of Swedavia’s airports are now certified at the highest level. All 10 of our airports are part of the Airport Accreditation framework with our ambition for three further airports – Kiruna Airport (KRN), Visby Airport (VBY) and Åre Östersund Airport (OSD) – to be certified at Level 5 in the spring of 2025.

Driving climate transition across Swedavia’s entire ecosystem

Besides striving to achieve Level 5 for all Swedavia airports, we have a broad palette to work from regarding our climate transition efforts throughout our entire ecosystem. 2024 marked the fifth year running that Swedavia has offered the SAF incentive programme for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in which we help to cover airlines’ refuelling costs when they use renewable aviation fuel at up to 50% of the premium cost. Since 2016, we have also contributed to the aviation industry’s climate transition through the annual public tender of (SAF) that Swedavia organises with the aim of promoting sustainable business travel.

We have adapted our operations and machines by using HVO100 for our vehicles, green electricity and fossil-free gas at our airports. As a leading climate transitioning airport operator, Swedavia is also constantly working towards fossil-free aviation through different projects, for instance in developing electric aircraft and hydrogen aircraft with partners, both domestically and with partners around Europe. The future of aviation is a fossil-free one, and we are committed to stay on course and continue leading the way.

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Therese Forsström has been Head of Environmental Department at Swedavia International Airports since 2021 and was previously Head of the Environmental Department at Bromma Stockholm Airport between 2015-2018 and at Stockholm Arlanda Airport between 2018-2021.